Pairing: Andy Flynn/Brenda Leigh JohnsonRating: TDisclaimer: I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings.Spoilers: Season 5 and a spoiler for season six. If you want to keep unspoiled for season six, I wouldn't read.

He remembers the first time he saw her. Blonde hair, long legs, the kind of smile a man goes crazy for. Then she opened her mouth and out spilled that Georgian accent and bossy attitude. "Miss Atlanta" was hardly a case for his fantasies, hardly a case for anything at all. She hated him, and he knew it. There was no getting away from their hateful relationship, but Flynn did have to admire that she was an attractive woman. That he would screw her in a second if he got the chance and could tape her mouth shut.

Then she stood up for him and his eyes opened. He realised he had been used as a pawn in Taylor's games, that he didn't care for anyone but himself. So he jumped ship, moved to someone who would have his back no matter what he did. Gabriel was still golden boy, and he was still the ex Robbery Homicide officer who would turn his back on them if he got a chance. But he rediscovered his friendship with Provenza, started being a more able bodied member of the team. Trusted. Respected. And when it came to the end of things, he realised he wanted to work with "Miss Atlanta." That he could no longer work with Taylor. He had been 'priority murderised'.

Toothpick gone, new haircut, New Year. The cases were harder, and he was getting more and more old cases thrown across his desk. He could see the victims of them all, and it was growing harder for him to continue. He would shout and he would snark and she would return the favour, unable to deal with how 'emotional' he was. But if she could deal with young girls stabbed through the heart then so he could he. Gabriel was still her best boy, but things were beginning to wane. His new relationship with Pope was growing more into politics than crime fighting, something she had long tried to avoid. Her own relationships were getting stronger; you would have to be a fool not to see how crazy she was for Agent Howard. He was happy for them, "Miss Atlanta" was getting her Prince Charming and they were finally working together as a proper team.

Three years with Priority Homicide - no, wait, Major Crimes. Little things had begun to bother him, just things itching at the back of his mind. Like the way he had rammed Kroelick up against the wall as he came near Brenda. But he hadn't thought anything of it, Kroelick was a bastard. He had been happy to see her get married, to watch as "Miss Atlanta" walked down the aisle with "Mr FBI". She had worked so hard for so many years, and now she had a marriage that he could see working and she could still do the job she loved.

However.

He had come in late because he had forgotten his damn keys and had seen her looking over Stroh's file. He could see that she was in pain, but he couldn't do anything about it, none of them could. It was then that he remembered his own unsolved cases, the ones that walked away without even a trial. He got a scrap of paper and scribbled something on the sheet before sticking it up under the Department Aims. He felt rather than saw her, and watched as a steely smile graced her features. He was glad he could make her smile when she was breaking inside.

Things had started off with Gabriel being her golden boy. But with the advent of Daniels' departure and the stress of Stroh, she had begun to rely on him more and more. She was turning to him for help, needing his guidance and strength. He liked it, thrived on being needed by her. He liked being the reliable one, the one she turned to when she needed to know what was going on. The one she trusted, the one who understood her. Because she had been taking him down for years about his over emotional connection to cases. And now she was becoming just like him, and she knew it.

"Miss Atlanta" had become something different to him. A good boss, a well respected cop. Someone who he wanted to make love to, to kiss and just have with no boundaries or restrictions. He wanted her.

Andy Flynn wanted Brenda Leigh Johnson.

He wanted "Miss Atlanta."

He thought about her when she was talking about cases, how long her legs looked, how pretty she looked in whatever she chose to wear. It wasn't LA fashions, but they worked on her. She was so unique, a flower amongst the Botox size zero's of LA. He thought about her up against the murder board, on his desk, on her desk, kissing the life out of her whenever he could. It was killing him how she could be so close and yet he couldn't do anything about it.

She was happy with Agent Howard. He could see in the way they reacted to each other, the way they were together. Even more so now he was working at the LAPD, the FBI liaison. He wondered if they were hooking up on her desk, kissing in dark corridors and eating lunch together in between cases. He was jealous of their relationship, because he missed having someone other than Provenza in his life, and because he wanted Brenda as more than just his boss.

He remembered talking to Provenza once, when he was involved with Lauren and it was painful to watch. Flynn had never experienced love like that, the head over heels crazy about each other sort of love. He was jealous; it was why he had lashed out.

"Don't worry, it's just temporary. Like love."

He hoped his feelings for Brenda were temporary, he didn't know what he would do if things continued. Maybe leave, go back to Robbery Homicide. He could join Raydor in FID. There was a part of him that hoped her marriage with her husband would be temporary, so he could swoop in and do….something. Smile at her, wink and make a comment at his legs. He wasn't good with women, not long term. He had two failed marriages, a relationship with Raydor that hadn't worked. He didn't want to ruin the dream of "Miss Atlanta" and her southern accent wearing his shirt in bed.

He was back to the beginning, with a toothpick in his mouth and a heavy heart.

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